Candidate experience matters more than ever and for many recruiters, it’s become their mission to improve it. The consequences of a bad candidate experience could potentially be detrimental to a recruitment agency’s reputation and brand loyalty. Not only could it lead to candidates rejecting offers but also leaving your agency and spreading the word about their negative experience. This makes it all the more important to focus your attention on what you’re doing wrong and what you can do to improve it. Here are five common causes of bad candidate experience.
Lack of communication
Poor communication or in some cases, no communication whatsoever, is generally one of the main contributors to a bad candidate experience. A survey by CareerBuilder discovered that 75% of candidates never heard back from employers which doesn’t exactly form the basis of a strong relationship. To make sure you don’t get off on the wrong foot, acknowledge their application and maybe give them a quick call to introduce yourself.
Throughout the hiring process, ensure you stay on top of your emails and call backs to avoid a breakdown in communication and bad candidate experience. It doesn’t have to be overly time consuming if you use your recruitment CRM to automate repetitive tasks and remind you when you need to give them a quick buzz!
Complicated processes
One of the biggest offenders of a bad candidate experience is a complicated process. Unclear instructions, time consuming application forms and tedious interview processes can be massive turn offs for candidates and most of the time, they’re just not necessary. Try reviewing what you currently have in place and put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. What would make their lives easier? Being able to register via social media? Shorter application forms?
First impressions
We all know first impressions count and if yours isn’t good enough then you’ll find out about it soon enough! Interviews, phone calls, and emails all count and it’s so important for you to make a lasting impression that bodes well with the candidate, otherwise they could be leaving sooner than you think. I know from experience that a poorly organised interview can leave a sour taste in people’s mouths along with running late, looking scruffy and being condescending amongst many other things.
No feedback
Giving your candidates feedback is such a crucial step in the hiring process whether they get the job or not. If you fail to do this then you’re not helping them nor showing you have their best interests in mind. This is obviously going to put off a candidate as feedback is one of the most important parts of communication between a recruiter and their candidates.
Creating non-existent jobs
Some recruiters have been known to create jobs that don’t exist in a bid to register more candidates. As you can imagine, it’s not the best way to improve your candidate experience when there are honest ways in which you can do this.
If warning lights started flashing when you read any of these points then it’s probably time to improve your candidate experience! As a recruitment agency, you need to invest time and effort in providing your candidates with an effective experience in order for both of you to succeed. Just think, the easier it is for your candidates, the better your employer brand and the more recommendations you could receive!
